ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Ministry of Communications and other respondents regarding a petition that challenges the notification imposing a 50 percent higher motorway toll on vehicles with insufficient M‑Tag balance.
Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar delivered the notices while hearing the petition filed by the Judicial Activism Panel against the June 3, 2025 notification. Counsel for the petitioner, Mahfouz Bukhari, argued that raising the toll for low‑balance vehicles was arbitrary, excessive and lacked lawful justification.
The chief justice noted that the contested decision seemed to be a government policy measure and questioned the court’s ability to intervene in such matters.
In reply, the petitioner’s counsel asserted that even policy decisions are open to judicial review when they are unreasonable, discriminatory or violate the law. He maintained that the increased toll imposed on motorists with low M‑Tag balances was disproportionate and lacked a rational basis.
After considering the preliminary arguments, the court issued notices to the Ministry of Communications and other respondents, directing them to file their replies to the petition.
Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2026
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